The Light Within
by Raven the Mage
Summary: Draco's life is shattered with his father's betrayal. Hermione is heartbroken. The two form an unexpected friendship... that may or may not become something more. Dramione DHr Ronbash, Luciusbash, Rated T for: physical wounds, curse words, mild girl/boy scenes, alcohol
1. Chapter 1

"Why is it that we keep on doing involuntary acts of love?" Hermione demands.

"I don't want to either!"

"You are a repulsive man, worse than Ron!"

"Filthy little _mud-blood_."

"Just go away."

"It's raining, I'll get drenched."

"Then get drenched."

"Git."

"You're the slimy git here."

1 day ago:

 **Hermione**

Ever since Harry became head of the Auror Office, he _changed_ it so that it was almost unrecognizable. For one thing, he RANDOMLY assigned each Auror, a partner Auror. Well, that would take effect in today.

"The purpose of the new way we are functioning, is to ensure maximum productivity and safety from, and for ourselves. Your partner will have your back, cover up for you, and become one of your best friends. Two minds _are_ better than one." Harry had claimed, when he announced the new way the Auror Office would be functioning.

Of course, there were many cries of outrage, and even more squeals of delight. This even made it on the front page of the Daily Prophet.

I am not that excited to find out who my RANDOMLY assigned partner would be.

When I walk into my office, I don't notice anything different, besides it becoming larger, and there's another desk (that's _empty_ ) next to mine. All of my quills and folders, papers... and even my ChomfyCharmChair are there, but my partner's things just _aren't there_.

This person is either new to work, carries endless office supplies on themselves, or is a complete whack job.

I sit in my CCChair, I'm five minutes early to work, way later than I usually am, which leaves me no time at all to read something from my office library.

I'm just about to sit up and go to Harry's office to complain about my nonexistent/late partner, when the door bursts open, and a very _hateful_ person steps into my office.

Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" I jump up and scowl, why _is_ he even at the Auror Office anyway? Shouldn't he be trying to persuade the Minister to kill all the muggleborns or something?

"I'm coming to work." He replies, but without the usual venom, and without eye contact either.

"Work? I thought all you needed to do was sit on your lazy bum and drink wine all day." I reply, and draw my wand. He was probably trying to kill all the muggleborns himself, since the Minister wouldn't oblige. The nerve he had!

The normal blank look he had on his face melted a bit, to reveal...fear? disgust? grief? but he immediately resumed his normal, horrible face.

 **Draco**

 _Hermione._ I should've known, but it was all for the better? Wasn't it? She was the only one that was even on partially friendly terms with me, the only other options were Scarhead and Weaselby, which would never happen.

I removed my sneer a little bit as I contemplated asking her, but decided upon something else.

"Hermione, we need to talk. May we go for a coffee at the uh, muggle place, Starlucks? During lunch break?" I ask, very, very uncertain on how she would react. Those are probably the most civil words I've ever spoken to her.

She narrows her eyes, "What do you want, Malfoy? Why is it that you've suddenly used my first name, asked me out to go to Star _bucks_ , a _muggle_ place, and you are no longer dripping venom from your mouth? And why are you _working_ , and why would Harry even hire the likes of you?" She stares daggers at me, giving me a look of utter hatred and slight confusion.

"Please, may we speak at Star…..Starbucks?" I attempt a light tone. I don't know how I'm going to ever persuade her to forgive me, and be friends, I shouldn't have been so…. harsh when we we were younger.

"Whatever it is you are planning, it is not going to work out well. Now can we please get onto work?" She huffs, and her eyes fall onto my empty desk. "Malfoy, this is your first day of work, isn't it?" She turns her head towards me, "At least tell me why you are working at all? Let alone becoming an Auror?" Her tone is softer now, a tender look she usually reserves for Weasley and Scarhead is now aimed at me.

"I…." I blink back angry tears. Why couldn't my father at least leave me with some friends? All the money in the world could not mend the loss of Zabini, and Mother, and Pansy, and her parents, and _Lucius_ had caused it. "Narcissa is dead, and Lucius is gone" I whisper, barely audible.

 **Hermione**

"What?" I blink, "You…..they….. _what?_ "

"They came in the night, the other Death Eaters, and took her, and Lucius just…. _watched_." He looks enraged, thankfully not at me. "And he left with them." He looks away. "Blaise, he was with me at the time, but he got splinched in the chest when we apparated away, and it was _all my fault_."

"Draco…" So his mother had been murdered, and his father left? What about Parkinson? Was that why he needed to go to work? That still didn't explain anything though, he had mountains of money and why become an Auror? His favorite pastime was the Dark Arts!

"He was going to let them kill me too." His voice broke. "Hermione. It's just me and the house elves. Pansy, she disappeared five months ago, and her parents were also found murdered. They're picking off all the blood traitors. And I know for a fact that the muggle incident, 'terrorist attack' was from them. Weasley could be next you know." His voice suddenly got very quiet. "You're engaged with him?"

I was shocked, hadn't he heard? Ron had proposed to me, but we've only been dating for six months or so, and I didn't feel ready, so I'd said no. "No, Draco, I'm not." I reply.

"Instead of Starlucks for lunch then, would you like to go to Midnight Sun for dinner?" He asks, his eyes look almost…. hopeful?

"Starbucks." I correct lightly, "And of course, for purely business matters, I suppose?" I raise my eyebrows, of course he'd like to get to know his Auror partner better, after all, it was probably a life or death thing.

 **Draco**

My heart leapt in joy, perhaps she'd forgiven me for all those years in Hogwarts that I had tormented her? It's kind of sad, really, that the closest person to me right now is a girl I'd bullied and humiliated in school. "Of course." I reply, but truthfully I just want to say sorry for the way I treated her during our schooling years.

The Midnight Sun is a high-scale restaurant that requires formal attire, so I dress in a classic high-collar Malfoy dress robe. The family crest is embroidered on the chest, and it makes whoever wears it to look of high-class and regality. I'd also combed back my hair and used a sticking charm on it, so it wouldn't pop up.

When she'd said yes, I reserved one of my favorite spots in the restaurant, the Garden Terrace. You could choose which scene you wanted "outside" to look like. For this specific night, I chose Paris. You couldn't go wrong with France. It was, also, probably the best place to apologize.

I'm ten minutes early, so I stand near the edge of the terrace, leaning over the railing to see the beautiful view. The faint scent of roses and perfume is hanging in the air, even when a light breeze blows in from outside. The Eiffel Tower is lit up, although not bringing contrast to the bright lights of the city.

"Draco." A delicate, warm voice spoke from behind me. Hermione is here. I turn to face her, and nearly choke in shock. She's dressed...so daintily and ladylike! I've never seen her wear anything that shows even the faintest of her curves, always practical clothes that cover up almost all her skin. But now, she's wearing a knee-length white lace dress. Her honey-colored skin shine in the candlelight, and her large, brown eyes glisten with a fierce intensity. Her hair had drastically changed since Hogwarts graduation, but now it was even prettier. Each strand was a rich mahogany brown, and each curl was in perfect synchrony with each other. The pearl necklace and crystal earrings just added to her beauty.

I certainly did not care she was mud-blood, she was beautiful nonetheless.

"Good evening Hermione." I walk over to a chair and pull it out, gesturing for her to sit down. She smiles, and eases herself on, while I push the chair in.

"Good evening, Draco." Her voice again, like silk and cream.

 **Hermione**

I'd never been to the Midnight Sun, Ron never had enough to afford it, let alone the Garden Terrace! The only reason I even knew to wear fancily was because Harry had once taken Ginny here, and they were talking about it for a week before, and ranting about it for a week after.

But Malfoy..no, Draco, had brought me here for simple business reasons. It just proved his immense wealth.

I'm glad that I had not overdressed, as he's wearing some fancy robe with gold and silver strands laced among the fabric, and even a Malfoy crest over his chest, and a silver snake bracelet.

There's an advanced ordering system that allows complete privacy, as no waiter would be coming. The system is apparent when food arrives, levitating, and in a silver platter. The top is lifted to reveal my favorite food (although I hadn't ordered!), chicken salad with pecans, dried cranberries, among other toppings. Draco's favorite food, was...what was that? Salad? _Salad_! And it was a _chicken salad_ with pecans, dried cranberries, a rich grape vinaigrette. It was almost exactly the same I mine!

How? Was? This? Possible? Malfoy has the same favorite food as I did. But I suppose it isn't that alarming.

The dinner went on quite smoothly, but he was staring at me, like I was some sort of alien for most of the time. That's understandable, as he _is_ a Malfoy.

After I had finished the last few scraps of chocolate cream cake, and he scooped up what was left of his raspberry ice cream pie, he stood up.

A whole range of emotions danced across his face. I could tell he wasn making no effort to hide them like he did back in school.

 **Draco**

I hadn't yet apologized. It's now or never. After I swallow the last bit of pie, I stand up.

"Hermione." I whisper, so quiet I can't even hear myself. I clear my throat and try again. "Hermione, I'm sorry for the way I treated you at Hogwarts. I hope that I can make it up to you somehow. I know that all the things I've done are almost unforgivable, but I would like to repent for my actions." I take a deep breathe to say more. Never in my entire life have I ever been so nervous. Lucius had taught me to hide my emotions well, and not get over-emotional over anything. His betrayal and wiped that all away, so it was just _me_ now.

She interrupts me before I can say more. "Draco!" She stands up, and I'm afraid that she's going to slap me, or stomp away in anger, but all she does is talk. "I've forgiven you the moment I met who you really were. There was no need to apologize, Draco. I know that you've changed." She smiles, a brilliant, dazzling smile that blinds the universe.

"Hermione." I breathe, her name brought hope to my tired lips. "Hermione, will you join me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" I know that she's with Ron, but he hardly glanced at her during Auror training that day, and she gave _him_ the cold shoulder.

No. It couldn't be. But it could! She had forgiven me, and we could start anew, as friends, and eventually something more...

I'm being so daft, we would be friendly acquaintances, she would assure that, and so would Scarhead and Weaselby, and since she and the Weasel were together... He would definitely prevent any sort of possible friendship he and Hermione could have, were starting to have.

I blink back tears again. Since when did I become so emotional? _Since Lucius, that's what,_ I remind myself.

"I will, Draco, I will." her reply startles me from my thoughts and bring me back to the moment.

"I'm sorry Hermione, to deliver all my troubles to you. I do hope that you know I don't expect you to solve them or anything." I straighten myself. "I mean, I...I don't need pity."

 **Hermione**

Hogsmeade? That was the shopping (and dating) epicenter. Why would he wish to take me there? Probably to go to the Leaky Cauldron to catch a butterbeer, or he wanted to drink himself silly with firewhiskey.

Whatever it was, he had good intentions, the hope, and honesty that lay in his eyes could not be missed. Draco was a transparent man now, and if you knew him as long as I did, you could begin to be able to decipher his emotions with the mask on, let alone without it.

I tell him yes, but he replies unexpectedly. I'm shocked. I don't pity him! Pity is not something that I do! The Slytherin, thinking that _I_ pity _him_. It's _inconceivable_.

"I don't pity you, Draco. You don't need my pity. Pity is what the helpless ones get. You aren't helpless." I stare him straight in the eye. "You are strong."

The deep, grey pools that displayed all his emotions, and were his eyes, widened. "You think so?"

"Yes. And since you've told me all your secrets, I might as well tell you." I take a deep, deep breathe. Only Ron and I knew this. Even Harry was completely oblivious. "Ron and I are…"

"Engaged?" His eyes are full of fire.

"No! Stop jumping to conclusions! Ron and I are not together anymore!"

 **Draco**

She's mad, she's furious, her entire body is tensed. We were friendly for just an hour, and now I'm back to square one. She hates me.

Since when did I want to impress a mudblood? I was simply being nice to her because she was my Auror partner and I couldn't possibly have the person that would save up life, hate me enough to _not_.

But she isn't with Ron anymore? When they got together, the two war heroes were on the front page! If they'd broken up, surely that would also be on the Daily Prophet?

Just then, I realize how much I've changed. The past me never would've said a civil word to her.

It was my father's betrayal. He ripped through all my past beliefs of pureblood supremacy, and muggles being less than dirt.

I also realize… I realize I am in love with Hermione Granger.

 **Author's Note** : This is my first fanfiction, and I wrote it after my recent obsession over Dramione. Please review! I really appreciate everybody that has read up to this point.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hermione**

I collapse in bed, exhausted. We stayed at the restaurant for only two hours, but we got there at ten, so it was now midnight.

By now I'd already smashed, burned, ripped, cut, pounded, or otherwise annihilated anything that was Ron's or reminded me of him, but there was one thing I overlooked. The Tornadoes scarf that he'd saved up for three months to buy for my birthday. The Tornadoes logo is embroidered at the two ends, and the entire thing is made from Russian mobworm silk, and dyed with crushed lofterfly eyes. It was something I'd wanted for a long time, and he had finally collected enough galleons to get it for me. It was very touching, really, when I'd opened up the present. I could hardly contain myself.

On the same day he gave me the scarf, though, the day of my birthday, he got drunk, again. It was just a casual date to a muggle movie theater, but he'd sneaked firewhiskey in his baggy cargo pants and was sneaking drinks whenever I got entranced into the movie. By the end he was groggy and I had to carry him home.

We fought for five days after that, but I forgave him. The only thing was, he just kept on getting drunk, sneaking firewhiskey, secretly going to a bar.

I was always so baffled why his prominent and well-paid Auror job could not bring in as much income, as my prominent and well-paid Auror job.

How could I not have seen? I must've been blind, I'd told myself when I realized. Ron was using more than half of his salary to get the good kind of firewhiskey, and every time he came home looking tired and worn, very late in the night too, he was at the bar. Not on some Auror mission.

At the bar.

And that's how we parted ways. I really did think he was the one for me, but the one thing I cannot tolerate is that sort of uncaring.

Did it really take him 3 month's worth of savings to buy that scarf?

No. It didn't. That _liar_.

I grab onto the scarf, and very slowly, tear it apart, strand by strand by strand, while tears streak down my face.

 **Draco**

At least I'm the heir of the Malfoy fortune.

That isn't exactly a benefit, is it? Lucius is still alive, and he'd given everything to me. Why? It must mean something. He originally was going to let me inherit it, after he died. That was another thing he'd pounded into my mind.

He's planning something, and me having all the money and the estate is part of it. What is it? What is he planning? Blaise would probably figure it out, he could-

"NO." I scream, and hold onto my head. He's dead, he's gone, he's not coming back. I fall back into my office seat. Why would my father want me to have the estate, and all the fortunes? Unless if he was dead.

The word echoed in my head. Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead. _Everybody dead_.

Either way, I needed to figure out what was going on, and I needed help. Blaise and Pansy, no, dead. Crabbe and Goyle are in Azkaban, numbskulls anyway. Mother, dead. Father, the problem. Dumbledore, dead. Uncle Sev, dead. Aunt Belle, dead. There was no one left that I could turn to. Of course I already knew that, but I'd never tallied off who was lost to me.

I'm probably the only one that knows about the Death Eater gathering and movement, afterall, no other previous Death Eaters had been found murdered or disappeared. It was just the Parkinsons and Lucius, and I had witnessed the escape of Lucius, and the Parkinsons' bodies were already found.

No matter how much I'd like to believe, I can't solve this mystery, or stop the congregation of previous Death Eaters my father recently joined, without someone that knows what to do. Because I certainly don't.

Blaise... if only he were here.

 **Hermione**

I take some shuddering breathes. I had cried myself to sleep every night for two weeks. I _wanted_ to be with Ron, that was the problem. Only I couldn't. My life would only spiral downwards if I married him. Even Ginny, Ron's own sister had said that my life would be miserable if I spent time with him. I'd thought that she was joking, but now I understand that she was warning me.

Why did every man I meet be taken or not even halfway decent? Ginny was so lucky she had Harry, and Luna was already engaged with Neville.

But Ron...I loved him, cared for him, I was, and am still probably willing to do anything for his welfare. The only reason I'm not still with him is because I know what would happen to me if I did. The only thing I can do is to prevent myself from hiding in the bathroom during work.

Why was he so unstable anyways? I grab a handkerchief from my dresser and wipe away some tears, but they just keep on pouring out. I'd be single for life. He'd probably die of alcohol poisoning.

It was _all his fault_. I pick up a book, also from my dresser, and throw it across the room.

"Gah!" a voice startles.

I scream.

"Hermione!" the voice is full of alarm.

"Expelliarmus!" I had grabbed onto my wand, and aim the spell at the direction of the voice. There's a bright light, illuminating the dark room. "Draco!?" I gasp, why in the world is he here?

 **Draco**

"Hermione, you need to leave _right now_. They are coming, and they will be here in less than five minutes." I growl, my voice low.

"Lumos." She whispers, and crawls out of bed. She's wearing a very loose-fitting nightgown that looks like it would fall off if you nudged her just a little, and then she would be just wearing underwear...

I internally slapped myself, what am I thinking? I need her to get out of the house.

"Who's coming?" She slips into the bathroom, presumably changing?

"Death Eaters" I reply, probably too quiet for her to hear through the bathroom door, and then bend over to fetch my wand.

She flies out the bathroom wearing travel clothes. Jeans, sneakers, t-shirt, windbreaker, and her hair tied back into a ponytail. A muggle travel bag...backpack I think, is slung over her shoulders. "Then let's leave."

Her eyes are puffy and red.

 _She was crying,_ I realize. What for? I didn't upset her tonight, did I?

I grab onto her arm, and we instantly apparate to the edge of the Malfoy estate.

"Oh my god." She gasps, her eyes are trained at the sky.

"What?" I demand, and turn to the direction that she's looking at.

The Dark Mark is over the Malfoy Manor.

My father has returned.

We aren't safe anywhere now.

 **Author's Note** : Sorry for the short chapter, I just felt like it was the best place to stop. Please review! I'd really like to know what everybody thinks of it. Is the story too fast-paced? Too slow? Did I portray the characters correctly?

If you were not expecting the Ronbashing, and do not like it, I'm very sorry, I just personally do not like Ron.

Also Harry will not be a main character in this story, (he may not appear at all), this is mainly just Hermione and Draco.

This will have more romance than adventure, Draco will still be charming, and they will still have that romance.

Any suggestions? Please, please, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for not updating for some time. I went to the Science Olympiad Nationals competition, which was 4 days long, and all of those days were packed to the brim. This chapter is mostly just Draco and Hermione thinking to themselves, not as much action...

 **Draco**

We stand there looking in awe, and fear for quite some time. The snake is twisting around, and hissing, while the skull's eyes are blinking between a bright, blinding neon green, with complete darkness.

Then I realize that Hermione and I are linking arms. I'm just about to pull away when she drives herself into me. A hug.

I've never been hugged before, by anyone. Not even Pansy, it was mostly arranged marriage with Pansy.

How should I got about hugging her then?

"Oh Draco, I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." she pats my back, as I slowly lift my arms, and wrap them around her graceful body.

"Hermione." I reply, and clamp my hands together at her back. "They're back, and we need to know what happened."

"We will. I promise we will." She stands on her tiptoes to breathe into my ear. We sway back and forth, rocking at the gates to my home.

"Where do we go now? They're at your house now, ransacking it."

"It's fine." She suddenly grabs onto my face, my chin, and pulls it into her own. Our lips meet, and we kiss for agonizingly short moments, before I need some air. I'm such an ameteur kisser.

This time, I'm the one that starts it, but we come out for air again. Breathing heavily, I say "Hermione. I've only known _you_ for one day," I take a deep breathe, "but I love you."

She glares at me, and I'm afraid that my confession was too early, but she bursts into a dazzling smile, and replies "Oh?" And she tackles me with another kiss.

 **Hermione**

Everything about him was different. That was probably why I forgave him so quickly. He was no longer the Prince of Slytherin, but now, another victim of the War. He was no longer the supreme pureblood, but now, a less prejudiced, independent-thinking young man. He was no longer the snotty bully, but now, regretful and caring.

"Why?" I ask him quietly. We're sitting at the porch of Harry's house, not ready to enter yet.

He nods, understanding my question. "I couldn't take it anymore."

"Take what?" I press.

"Hermione, I couldn't take my father. He was always pressuring me to establish superiority at Hogwarts, to 'show them who's boss', that sort of thing. If I did not live up to his standards..." He trails off.

"Then what?" I demand, "If you didn't live up to his standards, what would happen?"

"Remember when Potter beat me in Quidditch? Let's just say that I got the bruises and broken wrist after the game." He takes my hand, "He had me under his thumb. I didn't really want to call you a _mudblood_ at first, but it became so natural to me that fake hatred and loathing became real."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING MALFOY GET AWAY FROM HERMIONE I WILL HEX YOU INTO NEXT YEAR IF YOU DO NOT REMOVE YOURSELF FROM MY PROPERTY YOU FERRET! I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T-"

"Stop it Harry!" I jump up, and drag Harry away from Draco. "He doesn't have a place to stay right now! We just want to crash at your place for some time!"

"Actually I could just go to a hotel y'know." Draco's eyes gleamed, a little scarily. "Well I'll just be leaving now. I was merely inspecting her hand for a wound. I wouldn't count on it." He smirked, his old look returning.

And I thought he'd changed! I was no good at reading _men_.

Draco very gracefully stepped down from the porch and disappeared into the night. He'd made it clear that Harry shouldn't know, but who was I kidding, Harry was my best friend, I would be telling him everything tonight.

 **Draco**

His expression? Hilarious. Foam was flying from his mouth, a little bead of spittle even landed on my face. I'd expected that anyways. I was just entertaining Hermione, such a beautiful woman. What a shame she dated Ron, he practically ruined her. Perhaps I could rehabilitate her, let her become my wife, and ultimate destroy the Malfoy pureblood lineage.

Yes.

That's the reason I love her, because that's how I'm getting revenge for my father. He would be so furious! Now how would I win her love, while undermining Lucius in the process? That was what I needed to worry about. Stopping the Death Eater movement, and ruining the Malfoy lineage by marrying Hermione.

I had not changed at all. It was just a ruse. Yes, I would love her, but only as a tool to get back at my father. I never really cared about being a pureblood, did I?

I probably did, long, long ago.

 _Seven years ago, when Draco is 14 and in the 4th year._

The boy lost his swagger the second he walked into his father's office. He hadn't _meant_ to associate with the mudblood! He simply sent a nearby student for help, while staying by her side. How she'd consumed the wrong potion was a mystery, but it was a very dangerous looking potion, and he didn't want death to be by his hands. It would also look suspicious if there was a dead mudblood near an arrogant pureblood. All he'd done was clean the wound anyways!

"Draco, my son." The boy's father didn't look up from the paperwork he was reviewing.

"Father." Draco sank into a low bow, and very slowly stood straight again.

"I hear you have been caring for the wellbeing of a _mudblood_." He spat out the word.

"Yes, father." He didn't dare lie, his father would know, or find out, and he would be done for, then.

"You are a pureblood, a Malfoy. How _dare_ you tarnish our name with the likes of her?" Lucius stood up, his wooden chair skidding back. Draco didn't even flinch, or turn his head, when Lucius walked over to the right of the boy, and whispered in his ear "They are vermin, and must be treated as such. To think they are even worth being _saved_ by a higher member of society. A Malfoy!" Draco's father raised his hand, and forced it upon his son's face. It blossomed bright red. "I will not have it!" The second slap was more harsh, having purpose. Now both of the boy's cheeks had large, cherry-colored handprints tattooed on. "Go to your room, and memorize the second half of the seventeenth chapter of the Dark Arts textbook. Be prepared to recite it before dinner."

"Yes, father." The boy bowed again, and retreated out of the dreaded office. He was glad he got away so quickly, his father must have been in a good mood.

 _Present Time_

He would write a love poem, and purposely let her find it. She would be overjoyed, and start fawning over him. Ha. Imagine the look on my father's face.

All those tender thoughts earlier on, no, those were for the weak, the desperate. Draco Malfoy is not desperate. I am strong. She said that herself, didn't she? Well, that mudblood may have been right.

 **Hermione**

What a moron. He must've pretended to be all sorry, and flash fake emotions across his face. How idiotic have I become? I should've seen past him. Why would somebody change in two years anyway.

It was two hours ago that he stormed off, head in a cloud. Since, I have reviewed every second I spent with him to figure out what it was that he was doing, and why.

Sure, he'd saved me from the supposed Death Eaters coming to my house, but why? I now knew that the apology was a lie. It was blaringly obvious from the way his eyes…...twinkled when conveying the fake emotions. Although there was something completely unreadable flashing underneath the "fake" emotions. Though he'd returned by kiss...

How had I just noticed everything now? I had believed that he had changed, that he was ready to start on a new leaf. But he turns out to be just like Ron, a liar.

The only decent men are taken. Ginny and Harry, Luna and Neville, perfect couples. Perhaps I would stay single forever.

Though Draco had become rather handsome...and he can't be that bad anyways, _maybe_ he'd changed..?

What am I thinking, just because he lost his mother, and his best friends, and his girlfriend, and his girlfriend's parents, and his father, and...

Just because he lost everything doesn't make him a better person!

But does it?

Oh dear, this is probably the most confused I've ever been in my entire life. Imagine the look on Harry's face when he realizes I've come to this. All amusement, and then a slight bit of pity.

I need to get this straight. I need to stop fighting with myself on whether Draco is good or not. I need to do what I do best, figuring things out.

 **Draco**

As I apparate to the Midnight Sun's vicinity, where the luxury district is, my mind begins to wander. Did I really want to deceive and trick the girl to be my wife?

Was my realization last night real? My confession to her? I'd just sort of blurted those words out, my veins were buzzing from the kiss, and I don't think it was the truth?

Or was it?

I'll still try to win her love, and bring down the Malfoy lineage, but after just 5 minutes of consideration, I know that I really truly love her. The muggleborn girl with intelligence like no other, beauty that could blind the sun, and kindness rivaling my mother, but still a true Gryffindor.

Oh, if only my father knew.

And if only I could run back to her now. She definitely wasn't expecting my departure, and her expression was blazing with confusion, and the suffering loss of...betrayal.

Thank you for reading this far! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

To my readers: If you've gotten this far, thank you! I have changed the love poem in the first chapter into something more...believable, I'm sorry if you preferred the love poem, but the new thing, I think, will add more to the story. Also, I will be updating every Sunday _at least,_ but do expect a new chapter every Sunday. If I submit two chapters or more during a week, one of those chapters _will be_ published on a Sunday. Well, anyways, enjoy my story!

 **Hermione**

"Harry, there isn't anything more to say on this matter. He definitely regrets his war efforts, he was _forced_ to do those things. But does he truly believe in…..is he still the evil, snarky, slimy git we knew him as? Of course he's arrogant, and mean, but is he really actually mean? What are his motives?"

"You do realize you're spouting gibberish….." Harry places a hand on my shoulder, "Honestly, I've only hired him because he knew a lot about the Dark Arts and his veritaserum trial proved him innocent."

"Yes, but why would he _want_ to become an Auror?¨ I sigh. "You're still not clear on that part."

"Yeah, um, he didn't really put that on his résumé."

"And you hired him?" I fling his hand off from my shoulder and start pacing Harry's living room. "What if….." I stop, unable to think of anything he might want to do that's evil as an Auror.

"Yeah, I know, get in the system, infiltrate it, kill Aurors, get inside information, it's already clear in his trial he wants no ties with his father's ways. Besides, it was mostly because his mother got killed…"

"You knew?"

"Knew what?" Harry frowns.

"Knew that his mother died….what else do you know?"

"I think her mom got sick or something, and he was very grievous, and wanted to do good in the world or something like that. Well, that's the general gist I got from his very quiet interview."

Secretive, classic Draco. Such a Slytherin.

I burst into a smile, and Harry looks at me oddly. "You wouldn't mind if we snogged each other tonight, would you?"

"Me?" He pales, probably thinking of Ginny.

"Bloody hell, Harry, I meant Draco and I snogged. In front of the Malfoy Manor."

He pales even more. "Her...Hermione! He's such…...Ginny dear!" Harry hollers.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT?"

"HERMIONE'S HERE!"

"OH! I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" Within seconds, my best friend Ginny Weasley is down the stairs. Harry and she got married a month ago, before Ron and I parted, so Ginny is, as usual, a bubble of fun and happiness, as is Harry.

Ginny's has orange-red bedhead, and her night-gown is slightly crumpled, but nonetheless, she's still grinning when she sees me. "Oh, Hermione, how nice to see you, but did you really have to come this late at night? It's unhealthy to stay up this late you know. Is this about Ron? I'm still shunning him, don't worry, but he's been disappearing for days at a time now, quite odd."

"Ginny, no, it's about…...Malfoy." After that, the entire house was completely silent. Ginny slowly turned her head towards me, her mouth hanging open.

"And what exactly….happened?" She looks me up and down.

"We uh….." I bite my lip.

"You didn't….."

"I did?"

"Hermione Granger, what has gotten into you? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT SORT OF THING WITH VERMIN LIKE HIM?"

"Do what sort of thing? We just kissed?! After he saved my life too…...I think."

"Oh…. I thought…..oh…...thank Merlin! I just mis...misinterpreted the situation."

"Yeah, well, uh…."

"WAIT, YOU KISSED HIM, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, WERE YOU DRUNK, WHY?" Ginny frantically shakes her fists and starts stomping in my direction.

"Because he's…...I think I'm in love, Ginny."

 **Draco**

"Is this the wrong time to barge into one's house?" I raise my eyebrows at Hermione, the Weaselette, and Potter. "Am I being intrusive?"

Nobody answers.

"It would be nice if you all would stop staring at me like I've got Voldemort behind me."

"Did you hear anything we were saying?" Hermione asks quietly.

"I just apparated out of Potter's wards and ran over, so….no. Is there anything that I should know?"

"NO." They all said at once, a tad too quickly.

"Well ok then. I was just coming to, just coming to, er..." I straighten myself and clear my throat. "I was coming here to check on Harry's house because I was afraid the death eaters would come here after targeting Hermione." At least that was partially true.

"And why would you like to check on our well being?" Harry narrows his eyes.

I smirk, "Because your death would be most unpleasant for my Auror career."

The Weaselette frowns at me, her intense, fiery eyes boring holes in my head, searching for lies. She can't find any, because all I've said was true, just not the complete truth.

I'd come to be with Hermione.

"Why did you kiss Hermione?" the Weaselette demands, "What happened between you two? Why is it that you _and_ Hermione are barging into our home in the middle of the night? What about the death eaters targeting Hermione? Why would the death eaters come here? Why are the death eaters still there? Weren't they dead? I thought-"

"Oh, yes, the little Weaselette, still so snappy after all these years." I chuckle, "To simply answer all your questions..., well I'm blood traitor now."

Harry and the Weaselette looked like they were choking on lemons. "Blood... _traitor_?"

 **Hermione**

"I don't see what's so miraculous about that." Draco's nostrils flared, but he still kept his arrogant stature.

"Hermione, what did he do?" Ginny demands.

I hold up my hands, "Let him tell you from his point of view and I'll correct it if what he says isn't true or I need to add something. It is mostly his story to tell, and if he doesn't want to tell you guys, well, you aren't exactly his friends."

"Fine." Ginny grumbles, crossing her arms. "What happened?"

"My mother died." Draco growls back. "That's all there is to say about it."

"How, why, when, where, and most importantly, how is it that you two, of all people, are in _our_ house in the middle of the night? Supposedly checking on us for Death Eaters?"

"Harry, you're the head of the Aurors, has there been any suspicious behavior on Lucius for the past few weeks?" Draco turns to Harry with a cute frown on his face.

"Not really, he's been under house arrest, and all the wards are all up. Ministry officials always guarding the Manor and such."

"Nobody apparated in?" Draco looks pale now, and I know why.

"No...do you need to report suspicious behavior of your father?"

"Where are the ministry officials around the Manor?"

"They're there right now, they give us a buzz if something's up, and every six hours they beep in." Harry's face is a canvas of confusion, but he is no idiot, and when it comes, the wave of understanding hits him hard. "What happened, Draco? I have the right to know. This is an order, just because today was your first-"

"Yes, I understand Potter." Draco snaps, "I was just getting to that part."

"Well JUST SPIT IT OUT and stop stalling!" Ginny rages.

"YES FINE OK!" he rages, and under his breathe, he mutters " _Weasleys,_ " before continuing, "I'll start from the beginning since we'll likely have all night." He sighs, "It was two weeks ago..."

 _Two weeks ago_

"Father, I have found some clues leading to the whereabouts of Pansy."

"I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson will be delighted with this information." Lucius replied gruffly, still, as always, not looking up.

"Well, Father, I was thinking, since you already have such a large file on Pansy's case, that I could add this evidence to the file and we could submit it to Theodore to review. He's solved many more cases than-"

"Pansy is dead, face it, we will just have to arrange you another wife, now, don't we?" Lucius snarls.

"But Father, it's not about my marriage, she's a pureblood too!" Draco hoped this would win him over, pureblood supremacy was along the lines of his loyalty to the Dark Lord.

"It's useless trying to find a dead person. Now go to your mother and tell her I'd like to meet her in the ballroom."

"Yes Father." Draco sighed internally, what use was it for his father to collect so much information on Pansy's disappearance if he wasn't going to use them? Then they were as good as in the hands of a Ministry official, and Theo wasn't even working in the Ministry! He had his own detective business, and solved every single case he started.

 _Later that night_.

Draco rubbed his eyes. "Blaise, we should really go to sleep now. You okay with the guest bedroom?"

"Hm? Yeah." Blaise threw down his playing cards and laid back on the armchair. "I could fall asleep here, actually."

"Why not?"

A loud pop signified a house elf's appearance. "Master Malfoy sir, Master Zabini, Master Mr. Malfoy requests your presence, Master Malfoy sir."

"Did you understand what he said?" Blaise frowned as he sits up to see the elf, but he collapsed again, and closed his eyes.

"Yes, he wants us both in the ballroom."

"I did not hear the word ballroom anywhere in that sentence your house elf just said."

"Blaise...when my father says we need to go somewhere, we need to _go there now_."

"Yeah, okay, but only for politeness and stuff like that." Blaise groaned and stood up.

 **Draco**

"And that's where things got really weird." I take a deep breathe to say more, but that _Weaselette_ interrupts me again! The nerve she has! But then again, I'm a blood traitor like _her_.

"Since we supposedly have all night, could you please elaborate on the part where you _snogged_ each other?"

"GINNY!" Hermione blushes a bright red, embarrassed to have kissed me, I see. "I, we had too much wine during dinner."

I internally sigh as I remember the three bottles I'd downed earlier this night. I was drunk, but not drunk enough to throw up. That meant, hm, Hermione drank _four_ bottles of the red wine, how was she not throwing up, or passing out? _The wine_ , that spell...!

"What?" I demand, as everybody stares at me.

"What about the wine?" Harry, Ginny, _and_ Hermione say at exactly the same time. It's creepy.

I'd said it out loud, didn't I? "Mason Kilvard, the wine experimenter, he invented a spell that would neutralize alcohol in wine to a certain extent so that it wouldn't cause the drinkers alcohol poisoning, or any medical issues at all. But it still addles the mind, even if you don't feel groggy."

" _No_." Hermione feels her head, "That means I'm still drunk, doesn't it?"

 _And it means, it means I haven't been thinking clearly all evening_. As the realization dawns on me, I wonder how am I thinking clearly now? What is it with being drunk but not drunk?

"Well we've both been rather clear-headed, haven't we? I suppose... Well it's an odd sort of wine." Hermione twirls her hair, in deep thought. "Who was it that invented the alcohol-neutralizing spell?"

"Mason Kilvard, when he published his spell onto the International Spell Organization, ISO, he didn't release it for full public use." I reply.

"Mason Kilvard...Kilvard...Kilvard...I think I've heard his name before...OH! He's the man that found a way to speed up the wine-making process for red wine, and he's got three red wine flavors named after him."

"Irrelevant." I roll my eyes, my groggy mind from _Mason Kilvard_ caused me to turn blood traitor, kiss a mud-blood _voluntarily_ after I _involuntarily_ got kissed from the groggy mud-blood. My life is spiraling out of control because of the ! #$%^ &* alcohol-spell thing!

I'm going to personally seek this _Mason Kilvard_ out and murder him.

 **Hermione**

Draco, I know, is absolutely enraged. His face is contorted with anger, and one of his eyes is twitching. How could I have kissed him? He was the very one that drove me to silent tears and bullied me to no ends. The very prospect of that horrid man changing? Impossible! But then again, I'd conflicted and fought with myself about this for...well, all-night with this weird wine in my system.

So around when would four bottles of wine wear off? In two days? So that would be when all my thoughts and thinking are my own. In fact, the two day calculation is probably off.

How...why did I drink so much anyway? Well I didn't feel anything, and Draco did keep on pouring more into the glass.

Wait, why did I even say yes to going out to dinner with _Draco_? Yes, because he is my Auror partner, that was this morning.

Oh, today was such a long day.

I suppose I'll have to wait _two days_ before _anything_.

Responses to reviews:

JayFan67: yeah, I actually never would've imagined Draco to be a protagonist before I read my first Dramione fanfiction (Simply Irresistible, very good, highly recommended)

Elainel25: Thank you! I hope to update it in the future a lot more, and if this is going to be a shorter story, I _will_ write more Dramione!

Honoria Granger: Thank you to you too! I absolutely despise Ron...he's got major anger issues. I do think I've heard that JK Rowling said something about "Ron would never have made Hermione happy" or something along those lines. I'm not sure if she did say that, but if she _did_...

AlishaVane45: Wow! I would never have expected Draco's POV to actually represent him well, I was kind of expecting that I'd made him too soft or something, but I'm very glad that you think it does represent him well! It really does encourage me.

James Birdsong: Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

I AM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY for updating a day late :( I will not come up with an excuse, but the truth is that I started to write another Sherlock fanfiction and got carried away with it...(haven't published it yet). I will try very hard to publish on Sundays! Well I hope a day late will not be too bad.

 **FDraco**

"Potter, we are staying here for the night. Where is the guest bedroom?"

"First room you see upstairs, but if you sleep there, where is Hermione going to sleep?" Potterhead scowls.

"On the couch of course." I reply.

He raises his eyebrows, and is about to say something before that Weaselette interrupts again. "Hermione's staying in my room." She grabs onto Hermione's elbow and starts to drag her upstairs.

"Goodnight Draco, I hope things get sorted out soon." She flashes me a smile before disappearing up the stairs.

"Malfoy, we still need to talk about the Death Eater business."

"Unfortunately, your wife as already pushed me to my limits, I will be retiring to my room now." I sniff, and turn away.

"If...I have to know this, Draco, that's an order." I could almost feel Harry internally stomping his foot.

"Now why did you have to go and do that?" I sigh.

" _Draco_." he becomes exasperated.

"Ok, fine, _sir_." I charged back into the couch. "So Blaise and I made our _jolly_ way to the ballroom...

 _Two weeks ago_

"Why would your father want _me_ to come?"

"Beats me." Draco shrugged.

They continued to walk in silence, to the other end of the Manor, until they heard the screams.

"What _is_ it?" Blaise's eyes widened, "That's a bit scary, you know."

"He's probably punishing another lowly death eater, is all."

"You say that as if he does it all the time."

"He does."

"Oh...so why um, why would he want us to be there?"

"He wants us to take part."

"What?"

"He doesn't use unforgivables anymore though, you should be fine, but if you don't comply, he'll give you hell." Draco ran his hand in his hair, smoothing it down.

"Oh, but does your mother usually...um, isn't she in the ballroom right now?"

"Yes." Draco's heartbeat quickened, why _was_ his mother in the ballroom? She usually was...sleeping at this time of day. "Oh... _oh...OH!_ Blaise, we need to get there right now. My mother will have a panic attack if she sees...NOW!" Draco started running, and pulled Blaise along.

It still took them quite a while to sprint all the way to the other side of the Manor, and by the time they did, well the screams were now ear-splitting and drowned out all the shouts emitting from the ballroom.

"What's going on, Draco? I don't think anybody can _possibly_ scream that loud!" Blaise yelled, trying to override the gut-wrenching screams.

"I don't know, but we need to get in there right now, I think maybe something's happened to my father as well." Draco was really panicked, what if something _had_ happened? If his father was injured, or if they did something to his mother. But how could the screams be so loud? Perhaps they put a Teleno Charm around the whole….but if was a Teleno, then somebody would have to be screaming.

The two barged into the ballroom.

And stumbled into what seemed to be an old-fashioned horror movie.

Blood and bodies.

 **Hermione**

"I could ask Lyra for some alcohol-neutralizing potions." Ginny remarks as she takes the bedroll out from the closet. "That way you wouldn't have to wait a couple days, and your head could be clear as day the second you drink it. She just needs to take a blood sample and see how much of it is in your system, and, well, she's almost as good as Snape." Her voice catches when she mentions him.

Snape, whom we all thought... whom we misjudged _greatly_. We felt very sorry.

"That'll be nice. Thanks. Make sure to get one for Draco too." I flash her an appreciative smile.

"So, um, could you tell me more about what exactly happened between you and Draco? I just know that you two got drunk, and kissed." Ginny laughs sheepishly, and tosses a pillow off her bed, onto the now open bamboo bedroll.

"Well, y'know about Harry's new Auror law? With the partners and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Draco was new to work, and he somehow got paired with _me_ , and it was all venom and stuff from the beginning, but I could tell there something... _off_ about him. Then he told me about his mother..." I gulp down some air, "His mother being killed by his father, and Blaise getting splinched, and dying from the wound, and his father joining some major Death Eater meeting."

"Oh, wow...I never thought I'd say this, but I feel _bad_ for that man." Ginny pauses from retrieving the sheets, "He doesn't seem to be feeling grief though. Rather, still the same boy that annoyed you have to death!"

"I don't know really, it's weird, but I feel like...when I'm with him, I just have this feeling that somehow, he's much more gentler, and his attitude is toned down, and he's...I feel more comfortable with him than Ron." I then procede to choke on my own words, since when did I think that? "NO!" I say a little too loudly, "Oh dear, I honestly only knew him for, well, I met _him_ today, this morning, and Ron..."

"What do you mean by _meeting_ Draco? We met him during first year." Ginny frowns, and continues to spread out the bed sheets.

"He's... well, before I went on to get drunk, I somehow _knew_ that he was just, completely different. Just _different_ , I can't think of another word for it. _Different_ , as if he had some sort of major personality shift, to the _positive_ side. Suddenly he was almost like a gentleman." I recall the few hours we spent in the afternoon, perfecting charms and practicing partner defense skills. "He had this spark in his eyes that I'd never seen before, some sort of motivation. Of course I don't really know how to _read_ people, but it was a gut feeling, and...whenever he accomplished a particularly hard spell, or one of those Auror training challenges Harry sets up, I felt all warm and fuzzy inside."

"Pride." Ginny states, "You felt proud."

"Proud? Of the Ferret?" I start laughing at the childhood nickname we gave Draco, "I suppose, and just today, I think he taught me a whole lot about the Dark Arts too. The nature of it and all."

"Well, in this case, that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, but Ron overheard when he was explaining the Cruciatus Curse to me, and it was just _bloody_ awful! Ron just exploded!" Ron's tomato-red face, almost rivaling his hair was just a painting of blind rage. It infuriated me, why would he get so mad on trivial things? Things that could, in fact, one day save my life?

"Exploded? Like on one of his anger-rants?" Ginny raises her eyebrows, as she applies the finishing touches of making my bed.

"Yes, exactly. He and Draco had an all-out _duel_." I grin.

"Who...who won?" Ginny plops down on her own bed.

"Draco, of course, Ron was always a weak dueller."

"Ha! _That_ , I know I could beat him when I was just a fifth year!" She laughs, and falls back into her mattress.

 **Draco**

 _Two weeks ago_

It was like all the water from the fountain outside had been transfigured into water and sprayed in the ballroom. The liquid was dark, and thick. Sticky, too, Draco had found out when he stepped into it.

And there, in the center of the ballroom, a pile of maimed bodies, completely drained of blood, the clearly tortured skin of each lump (presumably a body), pale as snow.

Lucius simply smiled, as he watched his son, his treacherous, traitorous, disloyal son, and his lowly, insignificant _friend_ step into the room, their faces a masterpiece of shock.

Really, Draco did not expect what happened next.

The screams were still resonating throughout, loud as ever, when Lucius raised his wand. A slightly less pale body rose from somewhere behind the pile, though she was only pale because of fear.

Narcissa Malfoy. Draco's mother. Lucius's wife.

And bloodily murdered in front of Draco's eyes.

 _Present_

"That's all the details you need to know regarding her, there were some Unforgivables used, plenty of torture, enough to land him in Azakaban for life, maybe even the Kiss." I spit, bitterly, not at Harry, but at Lucius. He is undeserving of the title "Father", even less so "Dad".

"Oh, Draco, I'm sorry." Harry whispers back, his eyes as emotional as any other Gryffindor.

"Don't be." I snap. "Anyways, out from behind the pile of _bodies_ comes Bellatrix, who is _not dead_ , and at least twenty other hooded Death Eaters. They shot some spells at us, we ran, apparated out to the middle of nowhere, please _don't_ ask why I could after all those wards around the Manor, _I DON'T KNOW_. Blaise got-"

"I need details, Draco, as detailed as you can get it."

"Just shut up, just shut the f*** up, I had adrenaline, okay? I can't remember any more than that." I half-yell, half scream. "All you bloody Gryffindors, pretending you _care_." I mutter.

"Calm down, Draco, _calm down_. Please go on. I'm sorry, mate, I'm sorry." Harry puts his hands up in mock-surrender, and he's trying very hard to hide his exasperation, but I can still detect it.

"Blaise got splinched in the chest, he died, I ran to Parkinsons, find them missing, _know_ they're in the pile of deranged bodies, end of story. Now I don't know about you, but it's getting late and I would like to sleep."

"Wait-"

"Hermione and I are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, and we are going to do something about this alcohol that you fail to recognize that is still _in me_ right now." I growl, and stomp my way up to the guest bedroom.

 **Harry**

I'm gasping for breathe, _Hogsmeade?_ Draco and Hermione to _Hogsmeade_? Surely...surely...oh _that_ wouldn't end well. I chuckle, well, good luck to them then.

 **Responses to Reviews** :

Elainel25: Yes, I will, as much as time permits, I'm afraid, thank you for the review!

JayFan67: Mason Kilvard... I'm actually thinking of adding him in sometime or another, just to see Draco and Hermione's reactions. And also, for the first time in forever, Hermione is confused! I actually didn't know what _I_ was thinking when writing her _confused_ but I'll see how it turns out. Also, much thanks!

Please review and favorite, really reminds me to resume writing. Also, if you noticed some grammar errors, please do not hesitate to PM me, or review it. I will try to proofread to the best of my ability, but I can't catch all the mistakes.


	6. Interlude 1 (Mini-Chapter Ronbash)

This is a mini chapter, mostly because I had to study for Finals (which are actually next week, but I'm still studying anyways) and also there are some homework overloads becaue my teachers feel the need to combine the entire school year's worth of homework into one week.

Yeah...so next chapter should have some start on Hogsmeade, but this is just a little travel back in time.

 **Hermione**

"F*** off, you b***h!" Ron hurled his house keys toward me.

"GET OUT! Just get out, Ron, I can't bear to look at you."

"You can't kick me out of my own house, ya' little whore!" Ron swayed, and crashed into the couch.

"This isn't the first time you walked into the flat in which _I_ pay the rent, freaking DRUNK!" I tried my best to keep my cool, but he was making it pretty damn hard.

"B...b***h...you're not the boss of me." He closed his eyes and dropped out cold. I sighed. He was really just draining money from me, but when he wasn't drunk, he was such a sweet man.

The next morning, after Ron hobbled into the bathroom to regurgitate the alcohol, he tripped down the stairs. His eyes downcast, and his entire composure guilty-looking. This isn't the first time he attempted a "I'm sorry I didn't do it on purpose" apology. This time though, I wasn't going to be that soft, because every time, he promised to never do it again, but he never stayed true to his word.

"Mione, honey, I'm very sorry." He gave me puppy-dog eyes, and moved towards the fridge, supposedly to cook breakfast for me.

"I already made pancakes."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence, before he began again, "I'm so sorry, is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Please just, please leave." I looked away, "I already packed everything for you, while you were sleeping. You can stay at the Burrow before you find another suitable flat."

"Hermione! You know I didn't _mean_ to get drunk! Some friends goaded me on, and..."

"Yes, that's right, I Know you meant to get drunk, because you're addicted to the alcohol. You spend all your money, and some of _my_ money to buy the f***ing firewhiskey and get yourself sick. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE SORRY? THAT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO DO IT AGAIN?" I leapt up from my chair and draw my wand, pointing it at him. "Remove yourself from _my_ flat, or I'll make you."

There was a fiery look kindling in his eyes, "You can't kick me out of this, I helped pay some rent!"

"Why don't you go check this month's bill then?"

"You are going to regret this, _woman_." He snarled, before snatching his wand from the kitchen table, and stomping away, a trail of boxes floating behind him.

A single tear drops from my cheeks. If I was emotionally scarred after this, was it all worth not having a giant leech suck out my success?

 **Reponse to Reviews** :

Honoria Granger: I think I fixed one of them, but I'm not sure how many times I made that mistake...hehehehehe. But thank you for reminding me!

Elxie (Elainel25): Thank you! And I'm sorry I couldn't write out what happens in Hogsmeade this week...sorry! Had to study for finals and all that, even though they're next week...Well anyways, yes, thank you so much!


	7. Chapter 6

**Draco**

" _Draco…..Draco. Come to mother."_

" _Mum?" The little boy runs into his mother's arms._

" _It's going to be all….alright."_

" _You're bleeding!"_

" _It'll be fine." The woman chokes up a few globs of blood along with that sentence, and she slowly dissipates into white smoke._

" _NOOOOOOO!"_

I wake up in cold sweat. My hair is plastered on my face, and my nightclothes are damp. I hope I didn't scream in the middle of the night, how embarrassing would _that_ be.

Nightmares were a commonplace anyways, I'd trained myself not to scream at an early age, but that didn't mean I was permanently quiet every night.

I peered at the grandfather clock sitting in the corner of the guestroom. The numbers and dials were enchanted to glow, so I could read them in the dark. 3:50 in the morning.

I groan, I'd only been asleep for an hour or two.

 **Hermione**

The sun is smacking me in the face. It's bright, and warm, but _blinding_. I blink, where am I? My bed is not this hard. I sit up, and realize I'm on the ground, in a bedroll. Then I remember, and mentally laugh at my moment of panic.

Today is Saturday, so what do I have planned for Saturday? I need to meet with Professor Leavi to discuss his department's research on speed-healing….. Then I'm going to Hogsmeade with _Draco_ for some unexplainable reason.

Hogsmeade, of _all_ places, he asked me to go to Hogsmeade.

Perhaps, considering the previous day's events, I wouldn't have to, but I did feel more refreshed from sleep, although it only was a few hours.

I pawed the area next to the bedroll, and retrieved my muggle watch, which read 7:23. The meeting was at 10:00, I had enough time to prepare.

"Mione, you awake?" Ginny whispers from the bed.

"Yeah." I sit up and strap the watch to my wrist.

"You know, I've got to go to work in an hour."

"Oh yeah, you've got a game this afternoon. Holyhead Harpies and Thundering Thestrals. I have a meeting."

"Must be boring."

"Harry thinks it's necessary."

"Well, knowing you, you must have something else planned, unless if the meeting takes twelve hours."

"Hogsmeade."

"Shopping? Never would've guessed, and I thought you usually went to Diagon Alley?"

"Draco asked."

"Hermione! Are you still drunk? I bet you are. I think you should stay here until your head clears. Why would you go to _Hogsmeade_ with him? What are you even going to do? What _is_ there to do?¨ Ginny leaps out from her bed and scoops a pinch of floo powder, flinging it into the fireplace. She sticks her head into the fire and yells Luna and Neville's address and password. "Sweet Boding, Swishingkog."

Knowing Luna, she's probably up at this time writing for the Quibbler, as she is the manager now.

"Luna, you available today?" Ginny asks.

"It depends on what you want to do." The faint whisper of Luna's voice bleeding from the Floo Network reaches my ears.

"Accompany Hermione, I think she's…...well she wants to go to Hogsmeade with _Draco_."

"I'm sure she'll have a great time."

"No…. _Luna_! You've got to help me on this. Who knows what the Ferret'll do to her!"

"He's a nice man. Neville and I went to dinner with him and Pansy a couple months ago. We would've been friends, but we lost each other's Floo addresses. Now I must leave, the Quibbler's Sunday edition draft must be in pristine condition for tomorrow's printing."

"Fine! I'll let her go then. She _did_ beat Draco in all the duels…"

"Good luck at the game, Ginny, good luck, Hermione."

Ginny removes her head from the fire and sighs, "Well, I'm just going to put my quidditch robes on."

"Good luck at the game!" I smile.

"Thanks, seeya later!"

 **Draco**

I slide into my usual robes. White dress clothes underneath, and a black tux-robe (which is, for some reason, inspired by some sort of fancy muggle clothes) on top. I do have Beginner's Auror Training in the morning, since my Auror education still needs improving.

Then...well I had asked Hermione to go to Hogsmeade, and I do believe my intentions were to have a shopping spree, buying anything necessary for our Auror partnership.

But of course, I'd prefer doing my training with Hermione. Yesterday's training session was perhaps the most productive I've had in a long time. What was she doing today, anyways?

I force open the curtains with a swish of my wand, and a blast of warm, hot sunshine sweeps the room in a yellow glow.

Precious, rare, sunshine in England. What did this mean?

No, nothing special, just an unusually bright and sunny day, a rare occurrence, but nothing special. Not at all.

Now, where did I put last night's dress robes? Ah...here. I snatch the expensive, tailored cloth from the end of the queen bed, and cast a protection charm on it. This should prevent any wrinkles or whatever from getting to it when I stuff it in my expandable duffle.

It's not like I can stay at Potterhead's house forever, I'll have to move out eventually, find my own residence. It wouldn't be a surprise if my father changes his mind about giving me the inheritance, and removing my access to the Gringotts vault.

But then again, why _did_ he give it to me in the first place? Some sort of evil plot? It would be something my father would do, perhaps...assigning the blame to me when he did something with the Malfoy fortune?

I know that Hermione would know, she would spend some time in the library and think up of a brilliant hypothesis that actually makes sense.

Perhaps if I give myself a day to think it through, maybe even tell Hermione, I'll figure it out. Meanwhile... Auror training is not going to go away.

 **Hermione**

I silently groan in frustration. Professor Leavi was _so annoying_. Good thing I didn't have a meeting with him till next month. It was mentally exhausting to sit through his complaints on Aurors getting hurt. It was on _his_ job description that _his_ job was to HEAL Aurors, not complain about Aurors getting hurt. The whole point of Aurors was so they can get hurt instead of hundreds of civilians instead.

Thank god _that_ meeting was over. Perhaps I could ask Harry to assign another person to do the monthly meetings. It's a drain of happiness and health for me, maybe somebody actually _enjoys_ Professor Leavi's presence. I sure don't.

I peer into the Auror training arena through the reinforced audience protection. Draco is dueling with Ron.

I don't even know why Harry would allow me or Draco to do anything in our alcoholized state, but I suppose it doesn't interfere with our thinking, does it?

You know what? I am just going to completely ignore the alcohol situation and get on with my daily life, it doesn't seem to be affecting me now, so everything will be complete _fine_.

Ron lands a _Locomotor mortis_ on Draco, and he stumbles headfirst into the ground, but not before shooting an effective _Stupefy_ , rendering Ron unconscious.

The instructor, Mr. Neil Kalsen, waves away the spells' effects with his wand and announces Draco the winner. Draco is just about to sit down on one of the side benches to take a drink when Ron starts firing spells at him. " _Petrificus totalus! Expelliarmus! Sectumsempra!_ " With that, he drops his wand and watches Draco's bloodied form drop to the ground.

The entire arena and the audience here are in a brief moment of deathly silence, but then we get over our shock, and then go _into_ shock (how does that even work?)

I dive out of the audience box and run to the arena's entrance, and burst through the doors. Before the instructor can even ask me if I have authority to enter, I cast " _Vulnera sanentur_ ", tracing my wand over the bloody parts of Draco's training uniform.

"What the hell are you doing? That's Draco, Hermione!" Ron rushes over and tries to pry me away from him, but I shrug him off.

"Ron, he's going to die. If I don't heal him now, he's going to die _because of you_." I snarl, but I pause, wondering if I should be so harsh to him. Then, I play all the things he did in my mind over again, and realize that he doesn't deserve my kindness. "WHY THE FUCKING HELL DID YOU DO THIS TO HIM? JUST BECAUSE HE BEAT YOU IN A DUEL DOESN'T MEAN-"

A flash of pain lights up on my right cheek, and I register that _Ron_ just slapped me. What is wrong with him? I stay quiet after that, and finish up healing Draco, and then...I deliver a satisfying swing at Ron's disgusting features. A spray of crimson blood sprays everywhere, but I pummel him with as much blows as I can manage before somebody pulls me away.

Whenever did I fall in love with that jerk?

 **Response to** Reviews:

AgentKenzieCaptainAmerica: Another ship well done by the fandom.  
JayFan67: That thought is actually very appetizing as of now.  
Elxie: Thank you, they did actually!


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